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Downstairs, the open-plan living and dining space features expansive openings that open out to the balconies, patio, and the integrated gardens. This abundance of green space connects the home to the framed views of the verdant escarpment.

A circular skylight positioned above the master ensuite shower introduces natural light into the space, allowing the residents to connect with the outside world in every part of the home.

“My favourite part of the home is the way the central joinery unit balances the space and the normal ceiling with the double height void,” says architect Jeffrey Bokey-Grant. “Coming down the stairs is also a nice moment.” The exposed ceiling joists conceal the lighting and help to define various zones in the open-plan space.

The concrete flooring and American white oak joinery and stairs help to ground the light, bright interior. Colourful artwork and a vibrant rug add colour and texture. The artwork leaning against the entry wall is by Melbourne-based artist Christopher Jewitt.

The bathroom features Carrara marble vanity tops, timber joinery, Inax wall tiles, and Fibonnaci Stone terrazzo flooring—natural materials that add a crafted touch to the home.

One of the guest bedrooms features a bespoke built-in joinery unit that functions as storage and a desk space. It extends from the open bedroom and out into the hallway, with the desk positioned beneath a small window that allows for natural light and a carefully framed glimpse of the surrounding context. A concealed sliding door closes the space off when it is being used as a bedroom.

The central living and dining space extends outside in all directions to a private rear courtyard and a wrap-around verandah.

The master bedroom upstairs also features a solid balustrade, with a V-shaped opening that is cleverly used to edit the view and make it more special and focused.

The standard approach on the balcony would be to use a glass balustrade—however this would open the view up to the road, passersby, and an adjacent car park. “This means that the living room is truly private, even though it is in a prominent spot,” explains architect Jeffery Bokey-Grant.

“The clients live inside and out,” says architect Jeffrey Bokey-Grant. “It sounds cliched but the idea is that the doors are generally open all the time and you flow in and out without barriers.” The main balcony and rear doors are all weather so the doors can even remain open in the rain.

The kitchen doors allow for a connection to the balcony garden while cooking, an aspect that the architect believes is often overlooked. “The light-filled living areas bring the outside in, with the kitchen garden bed creating a feeling of being in the garden whilst cooking and preparing meals,” say the clients.

By editing the views with the built form, DD House takes on a striking, sculptural form. The upper level is perched atop the elevated ground floor on slender columns that dissolve the building's mass and give it a lightweight appearance despite the solid balustrades.

The home is set on a steep hillside site and is playfully named “DD House” in reference to the clients, retired couple Dave and Donna.

The site was previously owned by a couple who donated the original home for aged care use in 1968. In 2016, the three-storey, 24-unit building was privately sold, demolished and subdivided into six separate lots. These were sold with approved homes on them, and this site was the last one to be developed. Architect Jeffrey Bokey-Grant then convinced the clients to design a new home that would be suited to their specific needs.

The private outdoor space showcases the renovation's south-facing windows, which were installed to connect the indoors with the yard.

The renovation included an additional bathroom, to round out the total to two.

Natural light was also a used as a continuous theme throughout the home, as seen in one of its three bedrooms.

"The client had sourced some period-appropriate inspirational images and asked us to run with it,

The living room features a Malibu sofa from Kasala, and it sits above a Moroccan wool carpet the owner inherited.